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Skarlok
Skarlok is a land to the south of Dinacia, distinctively split into different regions with very different climates. Its Creators are Neheb and Unu, the Overseers of the Serpentine Jungle, Heron, God-King of the Osiron Desert-Kingdom, Ymír, Lord of the Seven Thanedoms in Lindung, Istvan, Lifebringer of the Zhuizhrhomanean Kingdom, and Dargon, Reigner of the South Wilderness. History Skarlok's early days were a time of chaos in the region. The six Creators had agreed to create a land of great diversity, yet even greater unification. But alas, such could it not be... The startup The six had chosen a land with borders consisting of both mountains, water, and open land. They all decided to begin in the north, and then form the land southwards with mild changes between the borders. Neheb and Unu took the task of creating the imminsely diverse and complex jungle in the east, to the sea. Heron decided to strew the sand that would become the Osiron Desert west of the two, and his friend Ymír beside that. To the ver west, Istvan concentrated on creating the life of Skarlok, thus not getting much landscaping done. All this went very well, and the young Skarlok slowly formed itself, its molded lands became populated by creations of Istvan (The human race was not created by a single Creator, but Istvan was a major role in its molding), sometimes altered a little by the Creators of what would be their home region. Time passed, more land was shaped, and all seemed idyllic. But between the six, adversity soon brewed.. The Time of Chaos Each Creator had become more and more obsessed with the virtues of his own land, and the others seemed more and more flawed. Ymír saw the power of the individual as the greatest of virtues, and none of the others' cultures could possibly bring strong blood to his people. Heron viewed the sophistication and rich culture of his highly civilised desertfolk as the ultimate sign of greatness, and surely a mortal people with the power to create such magnificent wonders as his could not allow simpletons in their ranks. The brothers Neheb and Unu saw their tribes use the great jungle they were given to live in, and live off, to the point where they themselves became serpentine in appearance. And the brutal changing of one's lands which the other peoples practiced would only be harmful in every way, shape and form. But even they disagreed about whether one should live with or off the land, to the point of violent conflict. And Istvan sat for himself himself with his small kingdom, obsessed and in love with the humans he saw as perfect in just every way. As a kettle boils and eventually overflows, so did their negative ffeling towards one another. It culminated in a hundred years long all-out war using the mortals, with each side following their Creator's philosophy, because they shared that of their watcher. Every faction, hell-bent on proving that they were the best, battled in devastating wars across Skarlok, in the great Wasteland and into each other's lands. In the end, no one emerged victorious, and all the cultures were bordering extinction from their own war-mongering. The Creators, finally seeing their mistakes, raised mountain ranges or tore the earth to stop their mortals' warring. With all luck, the people turned inwards, to the cataclysmic destruction of their lands, and started a time of seclusion and rebuilding. Regions Skarlok is divided into five regions, they are (from smallest to largest): Zhuizrhomanea, Lindung, Osiron, the Serpentine Jungle, and the Wilderness. Lindung Lundung is what most people would call "the Land of the Strong." Temperatures there never go above 10 degrees celsius, and every living being can kill you and probably wants to. Oh, right. Three quarters of the wildlife are at least ten times human size and the rest hunt in pack. Go figure how tough life is. A person from Lindung, a linding, usually stands two metres or higher. They can carry a full-grown horse (if there were any in their land) and worship their Creator, Ymír. The people of Lindung are divided into seven clans, called the Thanedoms, each with their area of expertise: *Sarluspelír, the masters of smithing, live in the upland of the mountains that serve as the primary border between Lindung and Zhuizrhomanea. The clansmen are all marked by burn-wounds claimed through years of working in their forges and mastering the craft of the smithing. Only the Master Smiths of Psiron can compete against the skill of the Sarluspelír. *Beowún, the monster hunters. The normal men of this clan live as much in their village, as in on the far plains of the wilderness. These specialised folk are all experienced in hunting and killing the life south of Lindung, and one's renown is equal to one's deeds in the wilds, and even one's test of manhood is killing a creature of large girth and bringing home a trophy. *Njornr, the seafarers who tamed the Maelström and rule the Lindormsjö. Their skill in building stormworthy vessel of the sea are legendary, and it is from this clan that some of the best shipbuilders of Ardalore hail. They are also the only ones to whom Ymïr has revealed the secrets of the Malmström, so that they may travel through it to the sea for raiding the shores of distant lands. *Hródgardír, the Thanes of Thanes. They command a great amount of thralls and own grande hoards of gold. These men are all gifted with the great talent of commandship, and they use it to great influence in the Hail of the High Kings and other gatherings. *Valkeír, the ascended warrior-women of Ymír are dreamt of by every Linding. This all-female clan hosts some of the greatest warriors of Lindung, and their most ascended are granted wings by Ymír and fly to the battle. A linding's greatest wish is to be married to a Valkeír and have offspring with her. Should it be a boy, he will be raised by the clan's greatest warrior. Should it be a girl, she will be taken to the Valkeír and be raised as any warrior-woman. *Virmundír, the masters of the wind, the dragon riders of Lindung. These brave men are the ones who guard the path to the lands of Almain, a path where cold winds rage. *Volvanír, the gloomy rune-mystics keep mostly to themselves. They have an affinity toawrds magic rituals and strange chanting, and one can never truly know the power of a Volvanír. Each Thanedom has their individual opinions about the other. Once a year, during Winter Solstice, their Thanes meet alone and unarmed on a great barge in the middle of Lindung's great water, Lindormsjö. Here, they exchange ideas, news, and agreements on trade, marriage etc. This event is known as the Hail of the High Kings, and should a Thane fail to arrive by his own will, it is considered a direct declaration of war against the others. Osiron Osiron is in its core a large desert. A very good sign that you're in Osiron is the seemingly endless dunes and complete absence of clouds that many a traveller has simply see, then turned around and walked back. Little did they know about the kingdom that exists there, the Kingdom of Osiron. The Kingdom of Osiron, or just the Kingdom, spans over the entire desert, from the Great Earth-Scar close to Lindung in the west, to the banks in front of the Serpentine Jungle in the east. Its bulwarks, towns, and temple-cities can be seen near every plot of water, of which there is an abundance - near the rivers. As of such, few dare the desert, and even fewer find their way out before they die of thirst or are eaten by the mysterious creatures that live in there. The Kingdom is a society that consists of very strict, defined societal classes, also called castes. Each caste serves a specific task in everyday life, for example the Defender Caste serves as the Kingdom's army, the Orator caste as the people's spiritual guides, and so on. Furthermore, every caste has a number of subcastes, such as the charioteers, archers etc. of the Defender Caste, or the smiths, farmers, and ferrymen of the Labour Caste. The Kingdom of Osiron is governed by the Speaker of Heron, whose authority is unquestioned. He is chosen, and later advised, by the Council of Castes, which consists of the Grandmaster of each Caste. These are in turn elected and advised by their own councils, consisting of the Masters of each Subcaste. The Speaker of Heron can be elected from any Caste, and can be of any rank. But, each Caste may not vote on one of their own, nor may a Master or Grandmaster become Speaker of Heron. The Serpentine Jungle In the very eastern end of Skarlok lies a great jungle. From without it seems calm and serene, from within it seems a damp, hot labyrinth of nature. But this is nothing compared to the indigenous life there, for it is not called the Serpentine Jungle for nothing. In the jungle lives a civilisation of snake-men, who are commonly referred to as Scalefolk. These reptilian tribals are the sons and daughters of Neheb and Unun, split into nine tribes with differing specializations and views on the will of their Sibling gods. These are: *Nightslither: Able to meld with the shadows, these distinctively dark grey-scaled stalkers of the night take pride in knowing everything, and storing the information in their great library-temple. They do not openly use or share their knowledge, rather they utilise it in subtle actions, often only known to the individual Nightslither tribesnake. *Venomfang: Masters in the art of poisons, the Venomfang tribesnakes feature longer fangs and a special ability to lengthen their necks, thus using their fangs much more frequently (and succesfully) as a weapon. They also have an uncanny habit of carrying unseen, wicked weapons capable of swiftly piercing a target with their poisoned tips. *Bloodneck: The mysterious blood-magi of the Bloodneck Tribe have an affinity towards sacrifice to their gods, utilising the fluids and body parts of their scarifices in strange rituals to call upon the powerful Blood Magic they all can cast to some degree, the most powerful of which taking place on top of their blood-soaked pyramid that also serves as their home. Members of this tribe almost exclusively resemble grass snakes and they all stand much more upright than the majority of other snakefolk. Their appearance may seem civilised, even innocent, to some, but many an adventurer has fallen to the kris of a Bloodneck in their attempt to rob or cheat one. *Darkcoil: The most numerous of the tribes, these snakefolk have developed an affinity towards the trees, preferring to strike from the canopies rather than fight on the ground. This has brought upon them more light, flexible bodies to climb the trees og the Serpentine Jungle, giving them agility rivalled only by the Nightslither. They are best recognised by their smaller than usual stature, and the fact that they are all bright green. *Blackscale: The most secretive of all the tribes, none has ever entered their twisted tower-city which reeks of black magic. These solely black-scaled snakefolk spend their time plotting a way to develop twisted weapons of mutilation, and are always seen in black robes that hide vicious weapons of pain and suffering. *Silktongue: The snakefolk of this tribe have a distinct ability to sway other beings, especially outlanders, with their great oratory skills. They are the most extrovert of the tribes, and their home is, in addition to a giant henge capable of housing the tribe, a great Bazaar, to which many outlanders travel to trade and barter. The Silktongues have no specific characteristics, but are all rather extravagant in their clothing as well as their bodies, which range from chromatically glimmering cobra-kin over horned, golden rattlesnake-folk to brightly spotted coral snake-like snakefolk. *Battlefang: The great arena that comprises much of this tribe's den summarises their way of life very well. From the Battlefang Tribe hails the greatest of Snakefolk warriors, and in here, one's status is determined by prowess in battle, and even outlanders may attain titles within this tribe, a virtue many have sought their luck through. The appearance of a Battlefang (who is native to the tribe, bear in mind) is generally not recognised through colours or bodily adornments, but by the scars they all have attained through battle and much more warrior-oriented style of clothing with a relatively high amount of metal. *Hollow Viper: The only clan to foster white snakes, in fact all of the members of this tribe are completely or mostly white vipers with vermilion, vermilion eyes. The other defining quality of this tribe is their network of tunnels and general affinity towards the subterranean, also evident by their exclusively underground places of living, that stretch far beneath the Serpentine Jungle though (officially) never crossing below another tribe's territory. They are all natural diggers and can even burrow upwards, springing an ambush from below. This way of living uncompeted by the other tribes has made the Hollow Viper Tribe the second most numerous tribe. *Then, there is the Dusk Tribe. Not much is known about this tribe, their appearance seems inconsistent, as the tribe's members never look the same, many even resembling members of the other tribes. This has led to partial belief in the tribe's claim that they are the harbingers of Neheb and Unun, yet they also state that they are above the Sibling gods and do not worship them. One thing is certain, though: nobody else ever truly trusts a Dusk, and the three towers that mark their territory also mark the southern end of the Jungle and the dunes further south; dunes that noone, except maybe the Dusk Tribe, cross without a very, very good reason. Zhuizrhomanea The Kingdom of Zhuizrhomanea lies in the northwestern corner of Skarlok, surrounded by mountains except for four spaces of land, one to each side. Within lies a rather flaccid land with five large cities and farmlands as far as the eye can see. The most striking feature of the Zhuizrhomanean people is their sheer number. Their Creator, Istvan, gave them the gift of life in such an extreme measure, that the women of the land usually carry five or more children, and pregnancy, which is highly common more than once a year, lasts only five months. This means an ever threatening, immense degree of overpopulation and thus famine that cannot be counteracted, which has spawned a very special tradition. Every man and woman must, when they turn sixteen, move to the Military Garrison City in the northeast. Here, they are taught how to stand in a formation and after two months, they are sent into battle. North, through the Path of Death, lie the Passed Lands in Dinacia, and it is here that the undead hordes are at their greatest. Ninety percent of these militiafolk do not survive their first battle (battles there last a day or so, usually), but those who do may return home and continue their lives. A surprisingly high amount of people stay, though, to further combat the hordes of unliving beings that threaten their homes. Those who do return after military service almost exclusively take jobs of production, mainly farming and mining. Very few are the Zhuizrhomaneans who take an education, as only the very best gain jobs of administration, while the rest are stripped of rights. These are what the criminal population of Zhuizrhomanea is composed of. The only people whose positions are safe are the nobility of Zhuizrhomanea, who completely control the Church of Istvan, and through that, the people. The Wasteland South of the four civilised areas is a great expanse of flaccid, rocky land, where only the most hardy of plants will grow. The creatures that live there are characterized by two features: They are large, and they are lethal. This is the Wasteland. The Wasteland itself hosts no unified structure nor any hope for travellers to find sanctuary, save for the independent town of Haven Port, which lies at the southward coastline. The only other human settlement to be found is Predsgaard Keep; a great tower-bastion populated by warmongering, self-proclaimed knights. These men have but a single means of communication, and that is violence. Their main activity is battling the Ogres of the Wasteland, the other sentient race in the region. These great, lumbering crossings between man and a now extinct race of trolls are lead by their warlord Trastub, who rules his united tribes with a rock fist from his Bastion of Power south of Zhiuzrhomanea. Not that he has 'united' the tribes of Ogres, rather he just taught them to do as he tells, or he'll even their settlements with the earth. Beside Ogres and scarce humans, the Wasteland hosts huge beasts that prowl or wander its great, rocky plain in search of food. Mos notable are the various kinds of Dragons, who battle with the Giants and Ogres of the region for control of the mounain-caves found five places in the Wasteland. A very deadly breed of Dragon are the Deathwyrms, long creatures so fierce that only another Deathwyrm dares near them. Apart from flying, scaled horrors, Rhinoxen and Mammoxen wander the plains in search of the scarce plants that grow. These are in turn hunted by great Dire Bears, Mountain Wolves, and packs of Dreadboars; spiked, carnivorous boars capable of impaling anything up to twice their size, or a juvenile Rhinox. In other words, don't enter the Wastelands unless you have a reason. Like a death wish. To add worse to bad, a strange occurance of the earth cracking open, spewing forth horrors of varying deadliness, have been sighted on the western border..